Sri Lanka clinch low-scoring affair

Sri Lanka 105 for 7 (Akram 3-17, Javeria 3-22) beat Pakistan 103 (Seneviratna 3-26) by three wickets
Scorecard

Sri Lanka overcame a spirited display by Pakistan in the field to clinch a low-scoring affair in Bogra. Having bowled economically and clinically to dismiss Pakistan for a poor total, Sri Lanka overhauled the target for the loss of seven wickets.

Shashikala Siriwardene's decision to field in Sri Lanka's first match of the series was justified. The first three bowlers used were extremely frugal and and Pakistan never recovered once the new-ball pair of Chamani Seneviratna and Sripali Weerakkody struck. Weerakkody, a righ-arm medium-pacer, bowled Nain Abidi for 7 in the fourth over before Seneviratna struck thrice to reduce Pakistan to 26 for 5 in the 13th over. Weerakkody's spell read 6-2-5-1 and first-change Udeshika Prabodhani, in her second match, returned figures of 5-2-14-0.

Four of the next five bowlers turned to produced a wicket each and Pakistan were bundled out for 103 in 41.5 overs. Armaan Khan, the wicketkeeper, produced the highest score of the innings, a 51-ball 25 from No. 8.

Pakistan put in a tidy display with the ball in defence of that poor effort. Asmavia Iqbal made an early impact with the new ball, dismissing Chamari Polgampola for 2, but it was the efforts of offspinner Javeria Khan and left-arm pacer Almas Akram that really threatened to win Pakistan their second match in a row.

Akram snapped a 31-run partnership for the second wicket and took wickets in three successive overs. Javeria, who yesterday took a career-best 3 for 20 to help her team skittle Bangladesh for 109, was again successful with three wickets.

Suwini de Alwis (17 from 41 balls) and Eshani Kaushalya (16 not out from 19) helped Sri Lanka over the finish line in the 31st over.